Car-dumping apparatus



June 11, 1929. F. E. SMITH CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1927 4Sheets-Sheet zww June 11, 1929. 5M|TH 1,717,TZ4

CAR DUMP ING APPARATUS Filed Octv 3 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mnesses:j7w2et09':

' E 6M/7-H 2 M Q" Paw/6 June 11, 1929. F. E. SMITH 1.717.124

CAR DUMPING APPARATUS raga June 11, 1929. F, E. SMITH CAR DUMPINGAPPARATUS Filed Oct. 3. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet wwwLN ZZWQM Patented June11', 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK E. SMITH, OF SCOTTDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-DUMPING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 3, 1927.

This invention relates to car dumping apparatus and, while not limitedthereto,

relates to rotary car dumping apparatus adapted to dump complete tripsor trains of cars at one time.

One object of this invention is to provide a car dump of this class withnovel car holding mechanism adapted to clamp or hold the cars inposition while the apparatus is rotated to dump the contents of thecars, and automatic means for operating said car-holding mechanismwhereby. when said dumping apparatus is in upright or non-dumpingposition, the car-holding mechanism will be held out of car-holdingposition so that locomotives may travel through the dumping apparatus topull the cars to be dumped therein.

Another object is to provide a novel trolley enclosure in said dumpingapparatus adapted to automatically enclose the trolley when theapparatus is moved into dumping osition.

A further object is to provide av umping apparatus having the novelconstruction, combination, and design of parts hereinafter described indetail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a partial plan of a dumping apparatusconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof.

Figure 3 isa partial enlarged sectional elevation taken on the lineIII-III of .Figure 1, showing a car in position to be engaged by thecar-holding mechanism.

Figure 4 is a partial enlarged sectional elevation on the line IV-IV ofFi ure 1, showinga car locked in position by t e carholding mechanism.

The apparatus of this invention is preferabl built in units or bays ofapproximate y 28 feet in length and any number of such units are joinedto form a complete apparatus. The plan of Figure 1 shows one of suchunits, and it will be understood that ten, fifteen, or even more of suchunits will be joined to form the complete machine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates thecage or barrel-like body of the dumping apparatus as a whole, which isbuilt up of suitable standard structural shapes in the usual ap- SerialNo. 223,671.

proved manner and is of sufficient length to receive a complete trip ortrain of cars.

Thecage or body A is provided with a plurality of transverse tracksupporting eams 2 on which the track rails 3 are secured in any approvedmanner such as by the bolted clips 4.

The cage or body A is provided at spaced intervals with traction-rings 6adapted to be supported on traction-wheels 7, journaled in housings 8 ofbeams 9 arranged transversely above the material receiving pit 10. Thewheels 7 are arranged in pairs so that the wheels of each pair willengage the rings 6 at spaced points. One wheel of each of said pairs ofWheels is adapted to be power operated by a motor or other source ofpower (not shown) through a reducing gearing 12 which is connected tothe wheel by a sprocket and chain-drive 13.

Suitable guard-rails 14 are arranged parallel to the track rails 3 toprevent thederailing of the cars to be dumped.

Angle supporting arms 15 are pivotally secured adjacent each end of eachof the track supporting beams 2 and serve to form a pivotal support forangle-shaped car-- holding beams 16, which beams are adapted to be swungin and out to engage and disengage the eXtended ends 17 of the axles ofthe cars to be dumped as shown in Figure 2.

Operating shafts 18 for each of the angleshaped car-holding beams 16 arejournaled in bearings 19 along each side of the body A. The shafts 18are provided with a plurality of levers 20 which are keyed to the shaft,and have their upper ends pivotally connected to a pair of parallellinks 21, which links are pivotally connected to lugs 22 on the beams16, forming toggle-like operating connections between the shafts 18 andbeams 16.

The shafts 18 are adapted to be rotated in a direction away from thebeams 16 to-move the.beams 16 out of cardioldino position. When thebeams 16 are in car-ho ding position, the levers 20 are positionedslightly beyond the center so that a load on the beams 16 servestotighten the hold of the levers QOand links 21.

The beams 16 are adapted to be moved out of car-holding position and outof the path of cars and locomotives or motors passing through the body Awhen the dumping apparatus is in upright or non-dumping position, and,in order to accomplish this operation, the shafts 18 are provided withpairs of sheaves 24 at spaced intervals. The pairs of sheaves 24 on theopposite shafts 18 are in line with each other and in line with a thirdpair of sheaves 25 jo'urnaled on' the center beam 26 below the trackbeams 2.

In order to compel the shafts 18 to rotate simultaneously in oppositedirections, or away from the beams 16, so as to move the beams 16 out ofcar-holding position, a cable 27 is secured to the bottom of one of thesheaves 24 one of the shafts 18 and trained under one of the sheaves 25,and over and secured to the top of one of the sheaves 24- on the othershaft 18, and a second cable 28 is secured to the under side of theother sheave 24 on the last named shaft 18 and trained under the othersheave25 and over and secured to the top of. the other sheave secured tothe first named shaft 18, thereby forming a flexible linkage between theshafts 18.

The body A of the dumping apparatus is adapted to be rotated in acounter-clockwise direction to dump the cars, and to be reversed orrotated back in a clockwise direction to return the cars and theapparatus to.

upright position. The side of the apparatus which is moved up during thedumping movement of the apparatus will therefore be designated as thepower side of the apparatus since the rollers or wheels 7 along thisside of the apparatus are the power wheels, and the shaft 18, journaledalong this same side of the apparatus, is the shaft to which,

. In order to move the beams 16 into carholding position and toreposition the levers 34, levers 36 are keyed at spaced intervals on theshafts 18. The levers on the opposite shafts 18 are in line with eachother and extend downwardly to a point below the tracks 3. A spring seator cup 37 is pivotally secured to the lower end of each of the levers 36and a spring guide-rod 38 is mounted centrall in the seat or cup 37 andprojects there rom.

Pairs of supporting-rods 40 are anchored to the track rails 3 oppositeeach of the levers 36 and carry a .pairof bracket 41 adjacent each end,which are held agfinst movement toward the opposite ends of the rods byspacer-sleeves 42. The brackets at each end of the rods 40 are connectedby a bolt 43 and spacer-sleeve 44 and have a pivotal bearing-block 45mounted therebetween, which block is journaled in openings 46 in thebrackets 41.

Coiled springs 47 are mounted on each of the rods 38 with their outerends mounted in the seats 37 and 'slidable spring cups or the inner endsof the springs 47. The free ends of the spri guide-rods are projectedthrough apertures in the bearing blocks 45 and the length of the springs47 are such that they will be under tension at all times and force theinner ends of the inner seats 48 against the bearing blocks 45.

When the shafts 18 are rotated to move the car-holding beams 16 out ofcar-holding position, the levers 36 will be rocked inwardly so as tocompress the springs 47 and, therefore, when'the body A of the apparatusis moved to dumping position and releases the lever 34, the springs 47'will force the levers 36 outwardly so as to rotate the shafts 18 andreturn the beams 16 to car-holding position.

A trolley box 50 is arranged longitudiseats 48 are moujted on the rodsto receive nally of the cage or body A and consists of L a body composedof closed top and sides which areformed integral and a hinged bottomcover member 51. The body of the box 50 and the hinged cover areprovided with an inner surface of insulation 52 such as rubber. Thecover 51 is along the one side of the box on brackets 53 so as to swingclear of the box body by gravity when the apparatus is in uprightposition and to swing over and close the box when the apparatus is movedinto dumping position.

A trolley 54 is mounted within the box 50 and, due to the hinged cover51, is protected, during the dumping operation, from damage by the coalbeing dumped.

In operation, the apparatus will be positioned in upright position toreceive the cars to be dumped and, as heretofore described, when in thisposition the levers 34 will be positioned against the stops 35, so as tohold the car-holding beams 16 out of car-holding position. A train ortrip of cars will then be pulled onto the dumping apparatus by one ofthe standard locomotives. After the cars to be dumped are positioned onthe apparatus, the locomotive will be detached from the train and runoff the apparatus. Suitable controls will then be operated to energizethe sources of power which operate the power wheels 7 and the body A ofthe apparatus will be rotated counter-clockwise to dump the cars. As thebody A is moved counterclockwise to dump the cars, the levers 34 will bemoved away from the stops 35 and the tension springs 47 against thelevers 36 will rotate the shafts 18 so as to move the beams 16 inwardlyso that they will be engaged over the extended portion 17 of the caraxles to hold the cars in position during the dumping operation.

After the coal is dumped, the rotation of the motors, or other sourcesof power for operating the power wheels 7, will be reversed so as toreturn the body A of the dumping apparatus and empty cars back toupright position, and as the upright position is approached the levers34 will again engage the stops which will force the levers 34 to moveupwardly so as to create a pull on the cables 31 and sheaves 30, so asto rotate the shaft 18 on the power side of the apparatus and alsorotate the other shaft 18 through the cables 27 and 28, Whereby thebeams 16 will be moved or retracted out of car-holding position so as topermit the empty cars to be moved freely out of the dumping apparatusand a new train or trip pulled in.

WVhen the apparatus is. in upright position the cover or top 51 of thetrolley box will be held in open position by gravity and as theapparatus is rotated to dumping position the cover 51 will move intoclosed position by gravity and prevent the coal, water, and other matterfalling against the trolley 54.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my inventionit will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincevarious modifications in size and details of construction may be made toadapt the invention to specific uses without departing from the scope ofmy invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim- 1. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, a cage having a track onwhich a plurality of cars are adapted to be positioned for dumping,car-holding mechanisms at each side of said cage, each of saidmechanisms comprising a plurality of'pivoted supporting arms, an anglecar axle engaging member secured to said arms, separate operating shaftsfor each of said mechanisms, levers fixedly mounted on said shafts,links connecting said levers and said supporting arms, means forrotating said shafts to move said angle car axle engaging member out ofcar engaging position, and other means for automatically returning saidcar axle engaging means into car engaging position.

2. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, a cage having a track on which aplurality of cars are adapted to be positioned for dumping, means forrotating said cage to dump said cars, car-holding mechanisms at eachside of said cage, each of said mechanisms comprising a plurality ofpivoted supporting arms, a car axle engagingmember secured to said arms,separate operating shafts for each of said mechanisms, levers fixedlymounted on said shafts, links connecting said levers and said supportingarms, means for rotating said shafts to move said car axle engagingmembers into car-holding position when said cage is rotated to dump saidcars, and other means for rotating said shafts in the reverse directionto move said car axle engaging members out of holding position when saidcage is returned to normal or upright position.

3. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, a cage having a track on which aplurality of cars are adapted to be positioned for dumping, means forrotating said cage to dump said cars, car-holdingmechanisms at each sideof said cage, each of said mechanisms comprising a plurality of pivotedsupporting arms, a car axle engaging member secured to said arms,separate operating shafts for each of said'mechanisms, levers fixedlymounted on 'said shafts, links connecting said levers and saidsupporting arms, sheaves fixed on said shafts, cables connecting saidsheaves so as to cause said shafts to rotate in opposite directions,another sheave fixed on one of said shafts, a cable having one endsecured to said last named sheave and its other end secured to a leverpivotally secured to said cage, a fixed stop adapted to be engaged bysaid lever as said cage is moved into upright position, whereby saidlever is rocked so as to pull said cable and rotate said shafts to movesaid car axle engaging members out of car-holding position, and springmeans for rotating said shafts in the reverse direction to move said caraxle engaging members into car-holdin position as said cage is rotatedtoward dumping position. r

4. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, a. cage having a track on which aplurality of cars are ada ted to be positionedior dumping, means orrotating said cage to dum said cars, car-holding mechanisms at eac sideof said cage, each of said mechanisms comprising a plurality of pivotedsupporting arms, a car axle engaging member secured to said arms,separate operatingshafts rocked so as to pull said cable androtater saidshafts to move said car axle engaging members out ofcar-holdingdposition, a pinrality of -levers fixed on sea 5 hafts,

seats pivotally connected to said levers, spring guide rods secured tosaid spring seats, a stop member pivoted for vertical ltOVtll'lODt onsaid cage, other seeond spring seats slidably mounted on said rods andadapted to abut said pivoted stop members, and coil springs mounted onsaid guide-rods and having their ends engaged in said seats, "wherebywhen said shafts are rotated to move said ear axle engaging members outof car-holding position, said coiled springs are com n'essed and whensaid lever is released from said stop as said cage is moved into dumpingposition said springs will exert their stored-up energy on said leversand rotate said shafts in the reverse direction to move said ear axleengaging members into car-holding position.

.5. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, a cage having a track on which aplurality of cars are adapted to be positioned for dumping, means forrotating said cage to dump said cars, car-holding mechanisms at eachside of said cage, each of said mechanisms comprising a plurality ofpivoted supporting arms, a car axle engaging member secured to saidarms, separate operating shafts for each of said mechanisms, leversfixedly mounted on said shafts, links connecting said levers and saidsupporting arms, means for rotating one of said shafts, other meansconnecting said shafts whereby, when said last named shat t is'rotated,the other shaft will be rotated sin'iultaneously in the oppositedirection, whereby'said car axle engaging members are moved out. ofcar-holding position, and spring means for auton'latically rotating saidshafts to return said car axle engaging members into car-holdingposition.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK E. SMITH.

